Greek Chicken Meatballs
These juicy meatballs are made with ground chicken, fresh mint, and Mediterranean spices, served with a creamy tzatziki dip for a healthy quick summer dish. Ready in only 30 minutes- completely dairy-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 medium onion , chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh mint , chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley , chopped
- Pinch of salt and ground black pepper
For the Tzaziki Sauce
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 small english cucumber , grated
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and ground black pepper
For the Greek Salad
- 1 cup english cucumber , diced
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes , halved
- 1/4 cup feta cheese , crumbled
- 2 cups lettuce leaves
- 1 medium red onion , sliced
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- fresh mint
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Tzaziki Sauce. Grate the cucumber, sprinkle it lightly with salt, and place it inside a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth. Squeeze firmly to wring out the excess moisture, then transfer the drained cucumber to a bowl and stir in the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, fresh lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Prepare the meatball mixture. Add the Ingredients for the meatball mixture to a bowl and use your hands to mix until well combined.
- Form the meatballs. Form the meatballs with wet hands or a cookie dough scoop and place on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm the meatballs.
- Cook the meatballs (OVEN METHOD). Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each one, and bake for 15–20 minutes until they are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Cook the meatballs (STOVE TOP METHOD). Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the meatballs. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until browned, and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You may need to work in batches to prevent overcrowding.
- Prepare the Greek salad. Divide the lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, and crumbled feta cheese into 4 bowls or plates. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
- Arrange the meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on the Greek salad and serve with tzatziki sauce.
Notes
Use Oil for Easy Rolling: Ground chicken can be quite soft and sticky, making it tricky to shape. To solve this, simply rub a little oil on your hands before rolling—the meat mixture will glide right off your palms!
Chill the Mixture First: Place the meatball mixture in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes before forming. Keeping the meat cold firms it up significantly, making it much less sticky and far easier to handle.
Don't Overmix the Meat: Handle the mixture gently and stop mixing the moment the ingredients are combined. Overworking the ground chicken will cause the proteins to break down, resulting in dense, heavy meatballs instead of light and tender ones.